2016-2017 Undergraduate General Catalog


Grading System

The following grades are used in the evaluation of academic achievement:

Grade  Quality Point
A+ 4.00
A 4.00
A- 3.70
B+ 3.30
B 3.00
B- 2.70
C+ 2.30
C 2.00
C- 1.70
D+ 1.30
D 1.00
D- 0.70
F 0.00

S/U: Satisfactory (C- and above)

   Unsatisfactory (D+ and below); no quality points (not used in calculation of GPA)

I: Incomplete

IP: Course in progress

VS: Indicated on the transcript for a successfully completed audit

VU: Indicated on the transcript for an unsuccessful audit

The grades of F, U, VS, and VU earn neither credit hours nor quality points

All repeated courses remain on the transcript with only the highest grade used in calculating the grade point average.

*New Student Seminar (GENL 097), CEEL, Student Teaching, and Practicum courses are always graded S/U, as are the departmental courses so designated in this catalog. Other participation courses (typically numbered 095-098), some Internships, and some Interim courses may be graded S/U. Students may also elect to have S/U grading applied to a maximum of two courses (8 credit hours) that are regularly graded A-F. Students choosing this option must notify the Registrar’s Office in writing by no later than the last day to drop a course with a W (see the academic calendar each semester).

In Progress Grades

In progress (IP) grades are given only for courses taken under the Independent Learning Program or special project courses requiring more than one semester to complete. An IP grade is changed to an F one year after the beginning of the term in which the course was begun. Approved IP graded courses include:

  • Independent Scholarship
  • Internship
  • Senior Seminar
  • Independent Study
  • Practicum
  • Student Teaching

Incomplete Grades

The student must initiate a request for an incomplete grade (I) before the end of the academic term. An incomplete (I) is a temporary grade which the instructor may choose to give a student. The assignment of an incomplete grade is only appropriate when extraordinary circumstances beyond the student’s control, such as illness or necessary absence, have prevented the student from completing the course requirements at the end of the academic term. Incomplete grades are not to be given due to unsatisfactory work done in the course.

The student must have successfully completed a substantial portion of the course’s work in order to receive an incomplete grade.

The standard due date for all course work and grades will be midterm of the following semester. (Fall and Interim incomplete grades due late March; Spring and Summer incomplete grades due late October.) If an alternate date is arranged with the student and the instructor, the instructor must notify the Office of the Registrar. In no event may the due date exceed one year.

Once the due date has passed, if a Change of Grade form has not been submitted to the Office of the Registrar, the incomplete grade will automatically change to an “F”.

When a student is assigned an incomplete grade, that individual is not eligible to be included on the Dean’s List for that particular term.

Grade Review and Grade Changes

Academic excellence and integrity are important to the faculty and students of Augustana University. If a student disagrees with a grade, they have the right to voice their concern. Evaluation of student work and assignment of grades on the basis of established academic criteria are the responsibility and prerogative exercised by each individual instructor. It is the responsibility of the student to maintain all documentation for his or her classes, including copies of all syllabi, assignments and grades earned.

If an instructor discovers a grading error, he or she may submit a Grade Change Form to the Office of the Registrar no later than the end of the following term. The only basis for a grade change is an error in grade assignment or calculation. Grades cannot be changed on the basis of additional work submitted or examinations retaken after a grade has been submitted.

If a student believes a grade was assigned in error, because of a mistake in calculation or an error in recording a grade, the student should consult the instructor before the end of the second week of the following term. Students should be aware that, as a result of review, a grade may be raised, lowered or left the same. If the instructor agrees that a change should be made, a Grade Change Form should be submitted to the Office of the Registrar no later than the end of the following term.

Fall semester grade review requests – no later than mid-February

Interim (January term) grade review requests – no later than mid-February

Spring semester grade review requests – no later than mid-September

Summer term grade review requests – no later than mid-September

Grades may not be changed for any reason after one year. If the student needs a changed grade, he or she will need to repeat the course.

Grade Appeals

Students have the right to be protected against prejudiced or capricious academic evaluation. A student who wishes to appeal a final course grade on these grounds should first appeal to the instructor. This action should end the matter in most cases, but if not, the student should follow the Academic Grievance Procedure in the Catalog.

Grade Appeals fall under the same timeline as Grade Reviews. The process must begin no later than two weeks into the term following the contested grade:

Fall semester grade review requests – no later than mid-February

Interim (January term) grade review requests – no later than mid-February

Spring semester grade review requests – no later than mid-September

Summer term grade review requests – no later than mid-September